“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” – George Carlin
Before we dive into the democracy quotes, consider this very important stuff I’ve written.
Long has mankind grasped at the ideal form of government. The first was pelting unpopular tribesmen with rocks. (This form of governance is still implemented in certain parts of the world today.) We eventually realized that government could become far more efficient if we sharpened our rocks before throwing them, and then a bunch of ancient Greeks got bombed off a vat of wine and came up with democracy. The morning after they wished they had invented aspirin and blue Powerade instead.
Democracy: “rule by the people.” Under this form of government, citizens decide on important legislation or choose from a class of other people called “politicians” to decide on important legislation on their behalf. In the latter case, politicians will carefully consider how their constituents would like them to vote, and then vote however the corporations and special interest groups which financed their election campaigns would prefer.
Is democracy perfect? A democratic government is ultimately as good as the people who participate in it, so, in a word, no. You’re obviously very smart, but imagine just how staggeringly stupid most other people seem to be. And their votes all count just as much as yours – unless you live in California, in which case your vote is worth about one-third as much as a Wyomingite’s.
Is democracy the best form of government? Maybe. Your own opinion of it largely hinges on which McPoliticalParty™ you prefer, and how well it did in the previous Free & Fair Election™. Ultimately, the only ideal form of government is dictatorship, and in that case, it’s only ideal for the dictator. But because too few of us are charismatic enough to ever become dictators, democracy will just have to do for now.
Best Democracy Quotes
Which of those democracy quotes is your favorite? Cast your vote by texting 5577 to 1-(900)-LIBERTY, or by ordering a T-shirt and noting your favorite quote in the special shipping instructions. Remember – your vote matters, unless you vote incorrectly.
John Stuart Mill was one of his era’s preeminent philosophers concerning liberty, utilitarianism, and freedom of speech. J. S. Mill quotes are required reading for libertarians.
An Austrian-British economist and philosopher, Friedrich August von Hayek remains a pivotal figure in the defense of classical liberalism – the assertion that civil liberties and economic freedom are paramount to civilization. Hayek quotes are worth reading and considering given the influence he’s had on freedom and liberty movements.
The difference between negative vs positive rights is that one requires action while the other requires inaction. Negative rights are the requirements of someone else not to interfere in your ability to obtain something. Positive rights are a requirement of someone else to provide you with something.
Hans-Herman Hoppe is a German-born Austrian school economist and paleolibertarian anarcho-capitalist philosopher. He did his undergraduate studies at Universität des Saarlandes in Saarbrücken, received his MA and PhD at Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt, and was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor before earning his habilitation back at Goethe-Universität. Hoppe immigrated to America in 1986 to study under Murray Rothbard in New York City, with whom he remained close until Rothbard’s death in 1995.